Awoken
by HanoKitsune
Summary: Korra is just a girl working at a restaurant struggling in a modern day world. Bending has been banished and forgotten, only a few know the secrets of bending. Can she discover who she is in time to bring balance to the world?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Korra wasn't ready to head to work. She'd been there late last night, and had a ton of homework to do after as well. Needless to say that didn't get done. She'd had a free hour between school and work, but she got in a quick nap instead of writing a paper. She needed money now, the paper could wait.

The walk wasn't too long, but it took her through some dangerous streets, and the drizzle didn't help either.

Work was always taxing, but she was lucky to have the job. It was at a little restaurant, tucked between a laundry mat, and a nail salon. She was happy it only seated 20 or 30 people, it could never get too busy that way. It was a popular place, the food was good, and the way it was cooked was a flamboyant nuisance. If she didn't flip her wrist right, or have the right footing the owner would flip.

"It's for your own good!" He screeched at her from the back.

"Yeah, so I can get a better tip." She mumbled under her breath.

There was a certain way to cook each thing. It was a special technique, an art. It hadn't taken her long to catch on. And thought she wouldn't admit it, she liked it. Rotate like this when stirring, hand over hand when mixing, and the list went on. Each item had it's own movements.

"It doesn't taste right if you do it wrong" He scolded.

"I just can't do it, the dough is impossible to make." She pouted, mashing the ingredients together in a horrific manner.

"We'll try again tomorrow, I know you'll get it. You just need patience." He always had a way of calming her when she couldn't do something.

"Fine" She sighed "I have to get home, I have homework calling my name!" She joked.

"Night, get home safe." His farewell was the same every night. His face looked more weathered tonight some how, like he was worried about something. She figured he was tired, and old man like him working all day alone would kill any normal human being.

She walked out the door, it was still raining. She liked the rain, it was always calming. It made her feel content. That's why she never complained when she had to walk home in it. No one seemed to understand that she liked walking in the rain, she often had taxi drivers offer her free rides home. She eventually started using the back way home, cutting through little alleys, and hoping a fence here or there. She'd never come into any trouble, just a few homeless people trying to stay out of the elements.

So when she saw three guys, one trying to blend in with the wall behind him, another behind a dumpster, and one laying inside of a box she became a little weary. She pulled her little flash light out of her purse. It wasn't big, she only used it to find stuff inside her purse. She didn't turn it on. It was just the right size to fit inside of her hand and give enough weight to a punch to knock someone out. She didn't know how she was going to knock three someones' out though.

She looked at each of their faces as she passed, burning their features into her mind. Scar across the eye, amber eyes, butt chin. Chunky, thick brows, brown eyes, mole on the right cheek. Large, muscular, green eyes, prominent cheek bones. They were distinct enough that she could easily remember them, pick them out of a line up if she had too.

She hoped they just wanted to rob her, and didn't have any other intentions. As she passed she could hear them falling in toe behind her. Did they think she couldn't hear them? Were they that stupid? She heard one step hard, meaning they were going to make their move. She side stepped and turned with her fist heavy, straight into his jaw. One down, two to go.

Her hand throbbed, and She wasn't sure how to take on two opponents at once, she had never fought in her life. They both lunged, she was helpless.

"No!" she yelled as loud as she could, hopefully someone nearby would hear her and come to help her.

"You knocked out our friend! We're going to teach you a lesson!" the one with the scar screamed. He had caught her fist with his hand easily. The other man kneed her in the gut and she went down, with one more kick her world changed colors.

* * *

"Hey Bro, did you hear that?"

"Huh? No. What are you talking about?"

"I think I just heard a girl yell?"

"No man, it was probably just someone's TV turned up too loud."

"No, I definitely hear someone getting beat up. I'm going to help out, you comin'?"

"I'm going to have to, you need all the protection you can get Bo."

They grabbed their jackets, and crawled out their fire escape. It was a quicker way to get to the street, and they needed to avoid the landlord because they didn't have rent this week.

Around the corner they saw a blue flash. Mako and Bolin looked at each other in shock and ran towards the light.

Once they turned the corner the sight they saw was confusing. There was a girl crumpled up in the middle of the alley, and three men strewn about haphazardly.

"Bo, check their pulses!" Mako ordered as he ran towards the girl. She looked okay, a small bruise appearing on her forehead and arms, who knew where else. Her knuckles were bloody. He felt her neck for a pulse. It was strong.

"Hey, can you hear me?" He said while gently cradling her "Are you alright, does anything hurt?" She mumbled incoherently and her bright blue eyes flashed open for a moment and fluttered shut again.

"They're dead man." Bolin whispered. "We better get out of here."

Almost like he had wished for it sirens started off in the distance.

"Fuck! Help me pick her up, grab her feet." Mako looped his arms under hers, and hoisted her up. It was awkward, so Mako threw her over his shoulder. They had to climb the latter of the fire escape anyways.

"Dude, are you sure? We might get in trouble, what if we get caught?"

"She was clearly defending herself, but those guys are dead, and it would be better for her just to avoid the whole thing. We are the only ones who saw anything, or at least gave a shit about it. Besides, if WE get caught here they might think we did something. So let's move our asses!"

"Dammit you are always right!"

Flashing lights filled the alley not a second too soon. They had just closed the window.

"Mako, what are we going to do with this girl? How are we going to explain all of this? What if she kills us?"

"She wont, they attacked her, see her fist? See the bruises on her arms?"

"Okay maybe your right, but what should we do?"

"Get some ice, and some peroxide, we need to clean these wounds. She's gotta rest. We'll figure it out when she wakes up." Convincing his brother, because really, he had no plan.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

She still hadn't woken up. She was completely still. It was 6 a.m. and Mako had no idea what to do next.

"Maybe we should look through her purse?" Bolin suggested as though reading his brothers mind.

"And what is that going to accomplish?"

"We could find out who she is. Or where she lives, works, who her friends are? Anything at this point is going to help."

"Yeah, I guess your right." Mako succeeded, having no better ideas.

"She looks kinda familiar, like I know her from somewhere?"

"Oh yeah, and where would that be? The only places you go are to eat at."

"I guess you're right." Bolin answered as he dumped her purse out on the coffee table. "My spirits, do all girls have this much shit in their bag?"

"They like to be prepared."

"I don't know how having 50 receipts, some smashed crackers, and ten yuans in change is called being prepared. What is she preparing for? I hope not a camping trip." Bo giggled.

Mako kept ruffling through some things, there was bound to be a clue. She had a note book, with half started sentences. Homework. Tampons, good thing Bo didn't grab these first, the shriek alone would've woken up the block. Sunglasses. A ponytail holder. A menu for Zin's place. It had writing all over it, like notes. Mako opened it up.

"Hey I think I figured out where you know her from. I think she works at Zin's Place. Look at this menu!" He handed it to his brother.

"YES! I totally remember her now! She's the best worker he has; she looks magical when she's cooking everything. Should we call there? Maybe Zin knows what we should do with her?"

"Yeah, that sounds like a plan to me." Mako reached for the phone and started dialing.

Why was the phone ringing so early? Who wants noodles at six thirty in the morning? Are they daft? He had half the mind to not even answer. Something was telling him it was important though.

"Hello, Zin's Place." He said, with sleep still on his voice.

"Uhhh, hi, is this, um. Is this Zin? My name's Mako, and um. Does a girl named Korra work for you?" A young mans voice sputtered through the line.

"Who is this again? Yes Korra works here, is she in some kind of trouble?"

"Well no, not really. I mean maybe. You see it's kind of a long story, but we found her in an alley, and she hasn't woken up yet. We really don't know what to do, so we were hoping you could help us?" Mako's voiced got a little high pitched at the end of the question. It always did when he was nervous and stumbling over his words.

"WHAT? Is she okay? What do you mean you found her in an alley? Where are you? Have you taken her to a doctor yet? Tell me exactly what happened. No tell me where you live I'm coming over." Tenzin Demanded.

* * *

"I'm getting to old for this. You guys should pay your rent so visitors don't have to crawl in through the fire escape." Tenzin said with a terse voice.

"We're really sorry about that Sir. We've just had some rough times, and haven't been able to come across a decent job. We're trying to steer clear of the Triads." Informed Bolin.

"I've been applying everywhere, so I'll have a job soon." Mako believed that if he said it enough it would come true.

"We're getting off track, please tell me everything. Exactly how you saw it. Leave out no detail."

The boys recounted the story, even things they probably should've left out. Like what they were watching, because the look on Tenzin's face when they mentioned it could've killed a platypus bear. Bolin told him that he heard some noise, that wasn't a neighbors TV. How they saw a blue flash and light up the entire alley and that once they got there everyone was lying on the ground, the three men dead. Korra was out cold.

He tried waking her. She was definitely out. He was worried, the girl barely slept three hours, and the bruises were looking bad. Her pulse was good though, and she was breathing fine. He'd always knew she was a bender, that's why he had hired her. He only hired benders, secretly teaching them their own art, with out them ever knowing. Some figured it out. But she hadn't, at least not to his knowledge. She was secretive, even to him.

"You said there was a blue flash? Was there water anywhere? Like puddles, or icicles?" Tenzin inquired the boys.

"No, I mean it was raining all night, so everything was wet, but nothing out of the ordinary." Mako Replied.

"What about scorch marks? Was the ground disturbed? Is there anything you can tell me that seemed a little out of the ordinary?"

"Sorry Sir, but this whole situation is out of the ordinary. All I know is three guys were dead, and she was in the middle of them all, passed out. My first thought was to avoid the cops." Mako said almost a little too crossly.

Tenzin was lost in thought. Could she really be the Avatar? That's the only explanation for the blue light they saw. It would also explain why she is so good at working every station at work. But why had the avatar shown up now? It had been too long since the death of the last Avatar, all who still knew of bending had believed the Avatar cycle had died. Bending was only done in secret, if at all. Most families never passed on their knowledge of bending to their children for fear of persecution, and so the art slowly died.

He looked at the boys. They had the eyes of benders, Mako's were amber like a fire benders. Bolin's eyes emerald like an Earth Benders. Tenzin had wondered if they had ever heard the stories.

"Mako, can you start a fire in the furnace? It's getting a little cold, maybe some warmth will help Korra wake up." He half asked, half ordered.

"Sure." He replied hoping it would work.

Tenzin knew it would not wake her up, but he wanted to see something else. And he got exactly what he thought he would. The fire started easily for the boy, it even gravitated to him, beckoning his fingertips to control it.

Next he pulled a small coin from his pocket, it was made from stone. A friend had made it for him a long time ago.

"Bolin, heads or tails?" He asked, flipping the coin high.

"Heads!" Bolin screeched excitingly, and heads it was. "Yes! I got heads old man! I mean, Sir. Tenzin. Sorry."

"Best out of three" He asked, ignoring the boy's lack of politeness.

Bolin won, which Tenzin assumed he would. While the coin method wasn't as sure as the fire method, Tenzin had known even before he tasked them with these tests that they were benders.

He decided to tell them; they saved Korra's life most likely, so they had to be good people. It was fate he believed. He would teach them the ways of their elements, all the while helping them pay for their overpriced apartment.

* * *

She was dreaming. Everything was bathed in a pale blue light. It made everything look soft and delicate. It was an odd dream; so surreal looking, yet so real feeling. She didn't even remember going to sleep.

The light coming trough the leaves was so peaceful she wanted to stay there, but she had a nagging feeling that there was some where she needed to go. There was some one she needed to meet.

She didn't know which direction she needed to travel in, she kept turning around looking for a sign, or a pathway. She became transfixed on the little particles passing through the light. It's like they were dancing with the wind. When she turned they swirled so delightfully. As she moved near them it seemed they were pulling her. Like little currents of air persuading her to her destination. Showing her where she needed to go. And then a tiny leaf gently drifted past her shoulder, stopping to dance and beckon her, showing her the way. She followed, and if she got distracted the leaf would simply grab her attention again. She never stopped to actually think she was following a leaf. But it was a dream, and it didn't matter. She let the dream take her where it wanted her to go.

The walking was easy, and she soon came to a clearing. There was a hill in the center, with a maple tree atop of it, not exactly centered. A small stream flowed from beneath the tree, and it had carved away the loose sediment to reveal huge boulders. There was a statue underneath the tree in a meditating position. The statue was dressed in ancient monk clothes, and the moonlight glinted off of the statue enough to make it seem like it was glowing.

The leaf slowly glided its' way to the statue and landed gently in front of it. Showing Korra where she was meant to go. It was just a dream, so she followed, wondering where her mind was going to take her.

She looked around, she thought maybe that she should imitate the pose of the statue, and so crossing her legs as she sat, did exactly as the statue. Then she looked into the statues eyes, and realized it wasn't a statue at all but a man.

"Hello Korra, I've been wating for you. It's so nice to finally meet you. My name is Aang, and I have a lot to tell you." He promised.


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry this took so long, and it's so short! It took a while for me to figure out how I wanted the history to work out. Some character stuff is going to be different from canon, but just bear with me! Thanks for reading!

* * *

"I have along history to tell you about, to help you understand who you are."

"Okay. Shoot." She wondered where this dream was going. She was never into history, history was written, and could therefore be fallible.

"First I must tell you of the history that has been forgotten. There used to be four great nations, made up of four elements. Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire. Some people from these nations could wield the elements. There was one person, the Avatar, who could manipulate all four. The Avatar was tasked with keeping balance in the world."

She listened closely as her dream changed from the peaceful hill to the scene he described.

"Long ago, when I was just a boy, my task was to defeat the Fire Lord Ozai. He wanted to spread the Fire Nation to the ends of the earth. During my training, and my attempts to find the answer to ending the war I met a giant Lion Turtle, who taught me ancient things. It taught me to take bending away. Which is precisely how I dealt with Ozai, he never controlled fire again."

Her dream showed her an image of a young monk, glowing with energy, touching the heart and the mind of the man he called Ozai.

"I thought that this would be the last of my duties as avatar, but the balance is ever changing. Always teetering between dark and light, push and pull, high and low. This was my mistake, and it has now been passed onto you. For that I am ever sorry." He hung his head dejected.

"If I'm the Avatar, then I can bend the elements?" She questioned, moving her hands around, testing her abilities.

"Yes, you are naturally a water bender. No doubt you have always had a sticking closeness with water?"

"Well I do like the rain more than most people. But that doesn't mean anything. If I could bend, then why haven't I ever done so before? And why can't I bend now?" She barked. Vaugely remembering she was doing something before this dream started that was unsettling.

"We are in the spirit world, and we can not bend here.

There is more to this story I need to tell you, before you go. I'm afraid I do not have much time."

"Go on, I'm listening." She noted.

"After I took Ozai's bending, things got worse before they got better. Many Fire Nation citizens still believed in Ozai's quest, and tried to carry it out. The war lasted many years, and a man named Yakone was actually the one to stop it. He was a water bender like you, but unlike most water benders he had a hidden talent. He could blood bend, and he carried the line of the most powerful blood benders, the ability to do it with out even moving. With this trait he also learned how to take one's bending away. He severed the ties from the person and the element. He alone scared the fire nation back to their homeland."

"That's a good thing isn't it?" she tested.

"It would've been, if that was the end. But as I stated before the balance is always teetering one way or another. Eventually he got over zealous with his power, he believed he was chosen by the spirits to judge who was worthy of having bending and who was not. He became just the thing he started out hating. I had to take his bending as well."

"But it seemed like he was doing a good thing right? I mean, it seems like anyone with power abuses it, even today."

"Mostly, but as the Avatar you have the ability to call upon all of your past selves for wisdom. Eventually we always change the way the balance is tilting, to reset the cycle, it is the way of life."

"Okay, so you took Yakone's bending, all should be well in the world right? Why do I get the feeling that this isn't the end of the story?"

"Because you know, deep down, that it isn't. Amidst all the destruction the benders were causing, non-benders wanted to stay out of it. They wanted their own separate safe haven. At the time I did'nt think it was unreasonable, why should non-benders have to suffer for our mistakes? So I created a continent for them, so they could start anew and live in peace on their own terms. I knew deep down though, that this was the wrong choice.

They lived undisturbed by benders for many years, and eventually needed to expand. With out benders they had to use natural resources, and those began to run out. Slowly there was no place for benders any more, and non-benders had become too powerful, too machine dependent. We were easily out manned, out smarted, and out gunned. Non-benders had lost their way with the world.

At the same time Yakone was bringing up his son Tarrlok. He trained him in the illegal ways of blood bending, and eventually how to take bending away as well. The war influenced Tarrlok in ways his father never could have, and he came to the conclusion that bending needed to be eradicated, that it was evil, and it was a stain on humanity. So he joined the non-bender movement. He became their leader. He is the one responsible for all of our knowledge being erased. He knew that it would only take a few generations for everything to be forgotten, just a whisper on a few's lips, an old lunatics last dying words, fables to teach children right from wrong. Benders went into hiding, including myself. I could not take on armies of planes, tanks, and other weapons I had never seen in my old age. I helped benders hide, concealing the continent where I lived out the rest of my days.

They attacked our haven, wiping out most benders. The only ones left were the ones still in hiding among non-benders.

Your parents were children when I died, and hey had you very late in life. You are the first water bender born in a century. "

"I don't even know my parents. I grew up in an orphanage, and became emancipated as soon as possible. This is getting kind of ridiculous." She puffed.

"I know you don't believe me now, and I wish I could tell you more, but I have to go now. Just know this one thing. You are being pursued. Be careful who you trust. You are already close to one who can teach you the things you need to know." His last words echoed as he faded away like smoke dissipating into thin air.

She was on the street. She remembered being attacked. As she looked around she noticed police tape, and outlines of bodies. The alley was a disaster; pieces of rock flung here and there, scorch marks all over.

She ran.


End file.
